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Apple forecast to sell 8m iPhone 5s next weekend

Kerching

Two long-time Apple watchers have said they are "confident" the Cupertino company can shift 8 million iPhone 5 handsets during the three days after the smartphone goes on sale.

The iPhone 5 chalked up more than 2 million advance orders after Apple began taking them, and that's convinced Piper Jaffray analysts Gene Muster and Douglas Clinton a further 6 million will be sold over the release weekend.

The new Apple phone ships on 21 September, this coming Friday.

The iPhone 4S' launch last year saw an initial million pre-orders followed by sales of 4m units during its first three days of availability. With the iPhone 5 doubling its predecessor's pre-order count, Munster and Clinton reckon first three-day sales will likewise increase 100 per cent.

They believe at worst Apple will sell 6 million units in total in the first weekend.

Some caution is required. Apple admitted yesterday that, of those 2 million pre-orders, not all will be met on the 21st, with "many" not shipping until October. Since advance orders don't actually count as sales until they ship, that immediately knocks back the pre-order contribution to opening weekend sales. ®